A Quick Summertime Porch Refresh

While I always joke that the entryway is my favorite ‘room’ in our home, Scott would argue that his is the front porch. (I mean, I’m right there with him, really!) A good front porch is a gem in Chicago, and it was high on the list of reasons we knew that our home was The One. Although there’s a lotmore to do on our exterior renovation list, we like to celebrate the small victories, and this porch has come a very long way!

After painting the railings, staining the floor (twice) and scoring these lounge chairs, we built our porch swing and painted it black. The results were true love – for a few years, anyway – but fast forward to the present, and we felt like the porch could use a quick summertime refresh. After a handful of harsh winters and hot summers, the chain on our swing had started to rust, and we couldn’t help but wonder how it might look with a new color:

As soon as we get an idea into our heads, it’s tough to shake. Wouldn’t the swing look so pretty (so fresh!) if we painted it white? Soon after saying the thought aloud, we took an afternoon to make it happen, and we’re so glad we did!

We used the Wagner FLEXiO 3000 to knock out the paint job itself in a matter of two 15 minute segments, using exterior grade un-tinted white paint in a semi-gloss finish. The FLEXiO comes with two nozzles: an iSpray, which is perfect for larger projects (such as walls, fences and decks) and a detail nozzle for fine finishing (such as trim and smaller, intricate items). Our paint area was taped off with plastic tarp, and we lifted the swing off the ground with scrap wood to prevent sticking. We opted to use the iSpray nozzle, giving the swing two coats on the underside, allowing it to dry before flipping it over, and we wrapped up with two coats on the front, top and sides.

For years, we’ve been using Wagner paint sprayers for various projects – everything from the entire interior of our garage before, our patio table and garden trellis – and the coverage just can’t be beat. There are some projects where painting by hand doesn’t make sense, and substituting a sprayer for a brush can save us hours (and keep the claw-hand at bay!). In this case, using a brush to get in-between the slatted seat and back is our idea of No Fun, but spraying the swing and rewarding ourselves with ice cream while the paint dries is Extra Fun, don’t you think?

We say this every time, but the power of paint never ceases to amaze us:

With the swing’s new color, we decided to try thick polypropylene rope to replace the rusty chain. This simple swap is so beautiful, and it instantly added a richness we didn’t realize we were missing! The polypropylene will resist mold and rot, and it holds a knot really well. There’s a teeny, tiny bit of give when you first sit down in the swing, which feels really nice.

We moved the white outdoor pillows over to the lounge chairs, and we filled that void on the swing with a handful of neutral tans and grays. I couldn’t resist adding a sweet llama planter to our small tables, and I love leaving a cozy throw on the swing for chilly nights. Of course, what’s a porch swing without a CC? (This girl will literally spend an entire evening from this perch, watching the world go by – even if the rest of the family is inside. Every now and then, she will request a soft push of the swing, and we’re happy to oblige.)

Our paint sprayer made for a smooth, consistent finish, and clean up took even less time than the paint job itself. This quick swing makeover (or would this be a makeunder?) was the perfect mini shake-up our front porch was looking for!

She’s like the grandma of our home, just sitting on the front porch swing without a care in the world! The only thing missing is an iced tea and some cookies.ReplyCancel

Zoe7.31.18 - 12:26 PM

Love this! The rope is ingenious and looks so beautiful and I would DIE for the convenience of that paint sprayer.

Just a heads up to other readers that the buffalo check blanket in this post can be scored for A LOT less via Amazon or even directly from the Faribault website ($90!). I bought that blanket from Schoolhouse and was pretty ticked off when I found out that they marked up that blanket by $40.